Sheriff’s Office revisits 32-year-old killing

Bert Gross, 42, of Fort Myers, Fla., was found dead at an Interstate 10 rest stop in Crestview on Feb. 23, 1981. His car, a 1969 Ford Ranger pickup was found about two weeks later in Mexico Beach, Fla.

Courtesy of the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office

By LAUREN DELGADO / Daily News

Published: Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at 05:27 PM.

Bert Eldon Gross packed his pickup and left his home in Fort Myers the morning of Feb. 22, 1981, to seek a fresh start in Phoenix.

The next day, the 42-year-old man was found dead near some picnic tables at a rest stop on westbound Interstate 10 in Crestview. He had been beaten and shot with his own firearm.

His killer remains a mystery for Okaloosa County sheriff’s investigators who are now resubmitting evidence to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime lab for more analysis.

“We’re hoping in this case to resubmit some of the evidence items and potentially get some answers,” Sheriff’s Investigator Randall Joiner said.

The clothing Gross was wearing will be resubmitted in the hope that “foreign” DNA — anything that’s not Gross’ DNA — will be found, Joiner said.

“That’ll really get us a starting point to determining who the suspect is,” he said.

Investigators developed a suspect initially, but the person passed a polygraph test and has passed away, according to a Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Chronicle video.

Serial killers Ottis Elwood Toole and Henry Lee Lucas also were considered suspects, according to a report in the Daily News in 1984.

Toole later was ruled out when investigators looked at his known travels in February 1981. Lucas was ruled out when he denied killing Gross to a Texas Ranger in October 1984.

Gross’ gun, the murder weapon, was never found. The Channellock pliers deputies believe were used to beat him also was not found.

It’s possible Gross was killed east of Okaloosa County, Joiner said.

A sheriff’s deputy found Gross’ driver license and bloody clothing the same day at an eastbound rest stop about 2 miles from where his body was found, Joiner said.

Gross’ 1969 Ford Ranger pickup with a MAC bulldog and white rims was found March 8 at a vacant home in Mexico Beach in Bay County.

Gross likely still has living family, Joiner said, but he hasn’t contacted them yet because he doesn’t want to get their hopes up.

He hopes the FDLE lab will have some good news in the future.

“The reason why we do what we do is not just for the victims, but their families,” Joiner said. “Even though time has passed and even though these cases change hands with investigators over the years, it never loses importance.”

WANT TO HELP? Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 651-7400 or Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers at 850-863-TIPS.

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The clothing Gross was wearing will be resubmitted in the hope that “foreign” DNA — anything that’s not Gross’ DNA — will be found, Joiner said.

“That’ll really get us a starting point to determining who the suspect is,” he said.

Investigators developed a suspect initially, but the person passed a polygraph test and has passed away, according to a Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Chronicle video.

Serial killers Ottis Elwood Toole and Henry Lee Lucas also were considered suspects, according to a report in the Daily News in 1984.

Toole later was ruled out when investigators looked at his known travels in February 1981. Lucas was ruled out when he denied killing Gross to a Texas Ranger in October 1984.

Gross’ gun, the murder weapon, was never found. The Channellock pliers deputies believe were used to beat him also was not found.

It’s possible Gross was killed east of Okaloosa County, Joiner said.

A sheriff’s deputy found Gross’ driver license and bloody clothing the same day at an eastbound rest stop about 2 miles from where his body was found, Joiner said.

Gross’ 1969 Ford Ranger pickup with a MAC bulldog and white rims was found March 8 at a vacant home in Mexico Beach in Bay County.

Gross likely still has living family, Joiner said, but he hasn’t contacted them yet because he doesn’t want to get their hopes up.

He hopes the FDLE lab will have some good news in the future.

“The reason why we do what we do is not just for the victims, but their families,” Joiner said. “Even though time has passed and even though these cases change hands with investigators over the years, it never loses importance.”

WANT TO HELP? Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 651-7400 or Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers at 850-863-TIPS.